The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1887-01-26
---------------- 49,
THE SITUATION IN TRENTON.


THE SITUATION IN TRENTON.
By the seating of Walter, from The
disputed Mercer County Assembly Dis
trict, Wednesday, the Democrats gained
the point for which they have been
working. They. have now secured the
only two seats that were in dispute.
Turley, of Camden county, was seated
by the consent Of those who were out
side Of the Democratic caucus, because
he had primd fdcie case. This mag
nanimity on the part of the anti-Demo-
critic side of the House has been re-
warded by seating Walter, who did not
have o primG .fdcie case, but in whose
interest Democratic Judge had decided
that there was tie vote. And Turley,
seated by the grace of the then compact
majority, voted in favor of Walter, the
other disputant, as soon as he had the
opportunity. But the two cases-of
Tnrley and Walter-are widely different.
Turley held certificate of election. 1t
is notorious that lie was never elected to
the Legislature and that his certificate
was the result of a fraud upon the ballot
box. Nevertheless, the certificate was
taken OF its face value and the man was
given his seat with the understanding
that his right to keep it should be sub.
sequently investigated. The discovery
of fraud would nnseat him. He is in
the Assembly merely on. sufferance. 1t
is not necessary here to expatiate on the
gross craftsmanship that distinguished the
Judicial recount in the Mercer County
District claimed by Jones and Walter,
respectively. Concessions were made
to Turley, which, if made in similar
manner to Jones, would have elected
him. The Judge passed over the points
raised as the count proceeded and re-
served his decision until he could throw
the weight OF his opinion on the side of
all questions, so that Walter, the Dem
ocratic contestant, could be elected.
Nevertheless, the Judge was finally
forced to decide that there was tie in
the district. There was no election. A
majority OF the Committee on Contested
Elections, in this case, reported that
there wes tie and that new election
should be held. A minority of the COM
mittee reported in favor OF giving
Walter his seat and this was actually
done, Wednesday. Turley, who is in his
seat on sufferance and by courtesy, t.
ing in favor OF seating a man who was
not elected. Our Democratic friends
think they have captured the Legisla-
tnre by these two frauds.
There are sixty votes in the Assembly;
of these, thirty one are Democratic, in
cluding the two non-elected members;
there are twenty-six Republicans, one
Independent Democrat Speaker Baird)
and two Labor men. The Senate has
twenty-one members, of whom twelve
are Republicans and nine Democrats,
including Senator Chattle, Prohibition
list. This would give, in Joint Conven-
ton, forty straight Democratic votes,
thirty eight Republican, two Labor and
one Independent Democrat Forty one
votes being necessary to elect, tho two
Labor men and the one Independent
Democrat will hold the balance OF power
If all OF these vote with the Republi-
cans, they may choose the United States
Senator. II any one Of them casts his
vote with the Democrats, their candidate
will be elected. But an election of
Senator in which two Illegally seated
Assemblymen should participate and by
whose votes the choice Of the Joint Con
vention should appear to be decided
would be, on its face, OF no effect, and
it wonld certainly be contested. The
fight would be transferred from Trenton
to Washington. Once before, o Demo-
cratic trick not unlike this of Leon
Abbett's was attempted in New Jersey.
The gentleman who profited by that ad-
vice was turned out of his seat by the
United States Senate, although he had
the hardihood to vote on his own behalf
when the question of his right in the
Senate was raised. What happened to
Mr.. John P. Stockton, in 1866, may
happen to some other equally bold
Democrat in 1887.
But the desperate gamester who is
risking everything in this clearly illegal
scheme has no other alternative, if he
proposes to keep up the contest. 1t is
very doubtful If Leon Albeit can be
elected United States Senator, even if
all his nefarious plans succeed. 1t. is
certain that he cannot be elected by fair
means. "Get the Senatorship, honest
ly il You can but get the Senatorship, .
is what Mr.. Albeit has said to himself,
apparently, ever since he began his cam.
RHikhs AA1 huo ANAlCd W SOb ~ nOuoobty.
he is still trying to get it. He relies
upon the discipline of his party to force
him, or some other Democrat, into tho
United States Senate. And in this at
tempt, no principle, no semblanco of de-
cency, no scruple of conscience, is al
lowed to stand in the way The Assem-
bly, chamber, Wednesday, was made
scene OF riot and rufiianism by the loud
mouthed demagogues whom the Demo.
cracy of New Jersey have sent to Tren-
ton to Disgrace the State. Insults to the
Speaker and gross invasions OF the right
OF speech were the order of the day
with these bullies, who propose to force
upon us Legislature nnlawfully organ
lied and Senator of the United States
elected by fraudulent votes. The peo-
pie OF New Jersey are not unmindful of
these disgraceful scenes. They know
that the men who howl down with bra
zen throats the right of the minority and
threaten to throw the Speaker of the
Assembly from his sent are Democrats;
Albeit Democrats, determined to rule
or ruin. Insolence and lawlessness may
profit for day, but O time of reckon
ing will come anon Newark Adyer.
tiser.l